


Emperor's Moon

by SweetbunThorn



Series: Emperor's Moon [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Crush at First Sight, First Crush, First Kiss, M/M, Yusuke has a crush and can't function
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 13:29:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16598819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetbunThorn/pseuds/SweetbunThorn
Summary: In which Yusuke gets a crush on Mishima and it's all downhill from here.





	Emperor's Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CosmicCurator](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicCurator/gifts).



> Eyyo!
> 
> I've deiced to take a small break from writing Pegoryu after some issues I've been having lately... 
> 
> Hopefully I'll get back to writing for them soon, but until then enjoy a rarepair!
> 
> This is Cosmic's fault, he pulled me into Rarepair hell.

_ Sketch. _

 

_ Sketch. _

 

_ Gah. _

 

_ Another useless line. _

 

Yusuke huffed as he stared down at his sketch book. Another unwarranted waste for another one of the papers, at this point the artist was at a lost. He was suffering from what Akira called “Artist block” and Yusuke was realizing his denial at the beginning was starting to give way to acceptance. He was utterly in shambles, his inspiration gone like the money he spent on art supplies. He leaned back against the park bench and stared up at the sky.

 

“Do the gods wish for my torment to never cease?”

 

While Yusuke was beginning to enter his internal crisis, a sudden gleam found itself beaming into the artist's eyes. The teen huffed and leaned away from the imposing distraction, turning his head to where it was coming. He felt his voice catch in his throat as he spotted the person in question. The teen leaned on his knees as he panted, hand reaching up to sweep his navy colored bangs out of his face while his olive eyes seemed tired yet determined. The jewelry on his arm glistened from the light hitting them, but it wasn’t enough to cause the blinding gleam.

 

The shirt he was wearing was a mix of blue hues and was sleeveless with a band that seemed to cling to his stomach. The shorts were dark blue with a long black stripe that stretched from the front and circled around to the back. Yusuke blinks as the glare hit him again and he spotted the culprit, the sports watch on his wrist. The artist could feel his face fluster and his mouth suddenly become dry. This was not a normal reaction for Yusuke and the sudden onslaught of feelings threw him for a loop. Only to come crashing back down as he spotting Ryuji, dressed up in his work out clothes, come running up to the teen

 

They talked for a few minutes before the blond handed the teen a water bottle. He responded and raised his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead, Yusuke made a choking noise and almost felt his pencil snap under the pressure.

 

“Oh dear lord.” 

 

Yusuke didn’t know how to handle the assault his mind was sending him and he hated it. He continued watching Ryuji and his friend as they took off jogging. Yusuke decided to take his leave before Ryuji noticed him.

 

* * *

The train ride back was filled with Yusuke’s buzzing mind and nothing but that navy haired teen. The artist wanted so badly to throw his head into his sketchbook and scream. Once he got back to the dorms, he threw himself into a massive sketching frenzy. By the time he snapped out of the daze, it was past midnight and he had filled a book and a half of nothing but sketches of that boy. Yusuke stared down at the mass amount of them and came to an conclusion.

 

He was having what Futaba called a “Gay panic.”

 

Yusuke rose up and grabbed the keys to his dorm, slammed the door behind him, and practically fled towards the only one he knew that would help him handle this.

 

* * *

 

Yusuke rapped his knuckles against the glass door and waited. Maybe coming to leblanc at two in the morning was a terrible idea but the artist needed someone to vent his new found feelings to. He knocked again just as he saw Akira descend from the attic. He paused upon seeing Yusuke and made his way over.

 

“Yusuke, what are you doing here?”

 

“I believe I have a dilemma.” He walked in and sat at one of the stools. 

 

“At two am?” Akira rubbed his eye. “What is it?”

 

“Futaba coined the term as ‘gay panic’.” Yusuke buried his face in his hands. “All because of that boy I saw with Ryuji.”

 

“What boy?”

 

“Perhaps Ryuji could come up from behind the bar and tell us.”

 

There was a clatter followed by cursing as Ryuji slowly appeared. “Dude… How did- wait, you mean Mishima?”

 

“You and Mishima?”

 

“He asked me to help him figure out a workout routine. So I started him out with a jogging schedule.”

 

“Yes, him! The boy with the light!”

 

“Light?” Akira blinks. “Yusuke… are you saying you have a crush on Mishima?”

 

Yusuke felt his face begin to heat up. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“You got a crush!” Ryuji teased.

 

“That’s so cute, Yusuke!”

 

“Believe me, I feel like my body is on fire every time I think of him.”

 

“Should we introduce him to you?”

 

“No!” Yusuke cleared his throat. “I mean, perhaps it is best that we do not meet. This crush shall pass in due time.”

 

Akira sent him a knowing smirk. “No, it won’t.”

 

* * *

Akira was right, it didn’t pass, it instead grew in intensity and proceeded to haunt Yusuke’s dreams and every waking moment. The artist sighed as he leaned back in his chair outside a cafe, truly the gods were testing him. He groaned and buried his face in his hands, perhaps he was being over dramatic about everything… as usual. Yusuke focused his attention back to his sketchbook just as he caught a glimpse of the same navy hair that’s been taunting him.

 

His crush had settled down at the table across from him with a muffin in his hand as he set down his bag. The teen wore a hoodie with some sort of logo on it with a jacket over the hoodie and a pair of jeans. He crossed his legs as he took a bit of pastry, humming slightly in delight while he pulled out his phone. Yusuke choked on the air as he watched him, temporarily stunned by seeing him again. The artist quickly pulled out his phone and sent Akira an emergency text.

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ He is here. _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Who is? _

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ The boy with the light! _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Oh, Mishima. Well, aren’t you going to say anything? _

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ Absolutely not! _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Come on, Yusuke, you can’t keep watching from a distance. _

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ I can and I will. _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ The brave artist Kitagawa bested by a crush on the Phansite’s admin. _

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ I- wait, he’s the admin of the Phansite? _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Yep. _

 

Yusuke glanced up from his phone to stare at the teen in question. His olive eyes were narrowed at something on his phone screen as he tapped out a response to whatever it was.

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ He seems… very passionate. _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Oh he is. I’ve had to confiscate his phone just so he could eat lunch. He also tends to go days without sleep and eating. Kind of like you. _

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ … I’m going to ignore that statement. _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ In all honesty, Yusuke, you should go talk to him. He’s a nice guy. _

 

Yusuke watched as the navy haired teen finished his muffin, picked up his bag, threw away the wrapper, and left the area.

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ …. One day, I suppose.  _

 

* * *

Hawaii was lovely, but Yusuke was still mildly agitated about not going to Los Angeles. Akira had recently planned an outing with Yusuke, Ryuji, and someone else, probably Akira’s roommate. The tall teen knocked on the door and waited patiently. He didn’t wait long as the door clicked opened slowly. 

 

“Ah, Akira-” Yusuke paused as he stared at the occupant in the doorway. 

 

Mishima was looking up at him, shirtless and eyes drooping as he rubbed them sleepily. His sleep pants were loose and pooling at the ground by his feet. His navy hair was a mess of bedhead and strands sticking up at odd angles. Yusuke concluded that the gods were laughing at him at this point.

 

“Hello?” Mishima blinked at him, finally waking up.

 

“O-oh, um, I’m looking for Akira?”

 

“Oh, Yusuke.” Akira appeared on the other side of the shorter teen. “You and Ryuji got here early. Mishima just woke up and he’s coming with us.” He smirked faintly. “Is that okay?”

 

“I-It’s fine.” Yusuke cleared his throat. “It’s fine. May I come in?”

 

“Sure.” Akira pulled Mishima into the room by the back of his pants. “Go and get ready.”

 

“Mmh, fine.” The teen retreated into the bathroom.

 

Yusuke waited until the sound of the shower before he spoke. “Akira, is this an equivalent of a double date?”

 

“Could be.” 

 

“Akira-”

 

“C’mon man.” Ryuji spoke from the bed. “You didn’t  tell Yusuke about what Mishima thinks of him?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“It was supposed to be a surprise.” Akira rolled his eyes. “You know that day you saw Mishima? Well, he saw you too and-”

 

“He’s been gushin’ about you non-stop ever since.” Ryuji yawns and stretches. “And that day he saw you at the cafe, I’ve been tryin’ to tell him just to go talk to you already. But he’s like you, kept sayin’ ‘no’ and how it would ‘go away’. Well it ain’t gone, is it?”

 

Yusuke huffed and crossed his arms. “It is not, but I still stand by what I said.”

 

“Stand by what?”

 

The teen nearly leapt out of his skin as Mishima spoke up behind him. He wore a thin, long sleeved black shirt with a looser short sleeved green striped shirt and a pair of skinny blue jeans.

 

“Wow, Mishima, sneaking up on Yusuke like that.” Ryuji chuckled. “You sure you ain’t a phantom thief?”

 

“I’m not.” 

 

“Oh, before we leave.” Akira grabbed his and Mishima’s hands and put them together. “Yusuke Kitagawa, this is Mishima. Yuuki Mishima, this is Yusuke.”

 

Yusuke felt like drowning, or at least jumping off the nearest building. Mishima, at least from his shocked expression, seemed to be feeling the exact same.

 

“Hi.”

 

“Hello.”

 

A silence echoed between them with Mishima’s olive eyes flickering down to the floor while a blush started to settle on his cheeks. Yusuke held his tongue, god he looked adorable.

 

“If you guys are done staring into each other’s eyes.” Akira’s voice caught both of their attention. “We got a whole day wasting away.”

 

* * *

Walking around the shopping area was a refreshing change of pace Yusuke concluded. He had gotten some new paints, courtesy of Akira, and a few souvenirs. During the entire outing, Ryuji and Akira kept conveniently disappearing and leaving Yusuke and Mishima by themselves. And it appears they have done so… once again.

 

“They left again…” Mishima sighed as he sat down, sundae cup in his hand. “I swear they don’t always do this.”

 

“I’m aware.” Yusuke looked at the dessert.. “....”

 

“Hmm? Oh, do you want some?”

 

“I’d feel like I would be imposing if I did.”

 

Mishima smiled and handed him a spoon. “You’re not imposing.”

 

Yusuke blinked, smiling softly as he reached for the spoon. “My thanks.” He dug the untsile into the dessert. “Mmm. Vanilla bean with strawberry syrup and pecans?”

 

“Y-yeah. I like nuts and strawberries.” He took a bite. “Mmh, this is good.”

 

“It is.” The artist leaned in to get another bite. “So, Yuuki, may I ask something of you?”

 

“H-Huh? What? W-What did you just call me?”

 

“I called you by your name.”

 

“B-But I-I never had someone call me by my first name before.” Yuuki blushed and began to turtle himself in his shirt. “S-So what did you want to ask me?”

 

Yusuke paused like a deer in headlights, the shorter teen looked far too cute right now and the artist was dying. “I, hmm, I believe I’ve forgotten.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m afraid I got distracted by how adorable you looked.”

 

_ Did Yusuke just say that out loud? _

 

Judging by the sudden rush of redness on Yuuki’s face, he had.

 

“O-Oh my, I-I didn’t mean to say that out loud!”

 

“B-b-but you did.” Yuuki started stammering. “N-no one’s ever said that about me before. W-What you said wasn’t fake, right?”

 

“I’m true to my word, Yuuki.”

 

He sent the artist a soft smile and played around with the melting ice cream. “S-So you’re an artist, right? What kind of art do you do?”

 

“Painting mostly.”

 

“Do you have any current, uh, inspiration?”

 

Yusuke nods while he digs into the ice cream. “I do. I'm looking at it right now."

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“Yuuki, ever since I’ve met you- well, seen you- I’ve filled two sketchbooks of nothing but you. Ann would call it creepy, but for some reason, you bring me inspiration. I want nothing more than to paint you, to see you in a more natural state. I wish to see more of Yuuki Mishima.”

 

Yuuki’s face had become fully red once more and he began to fiddle with the ends of his shirt. “You mean as a model?”

 

Yusuke shook his head. “As something else.”

 

“Y-you-”

 

“Hey, Mishima, Yusuke, sorry we were gone for so long.”

 

_ Yusuke had never wanted to kill Ryuji and Akira as badly as he wanted right now. _

 

* * *

The sun was beginning to go down by the time they began their slow walk back to the hotel. Yusuke and Yuuki had gotten to know each other little by little the more time alone they spent. When they made it back, Ryuji and Akira bid them farewell and departed back to their rooms. Yusuke was about to do the same when a tug on the back of his shirt stopped him.

 

“C-Can we finish our, um, ‘date’ maybe now or later?” Mishima softly asked. “I-I mean we don’t have to.”

 

“I’d love to continue, Yuuki, but we can’t leave the hotel.” Yusuke hummed in thought. “Perhaps after the curfew in the pool?”

 

“The pool? Okay, I’ll see you later.” He gave him a soft smile and made his way to the room.

 

Yusuke smiled back and made his way back to his room. He was walking in a daze almost as if the ground was made of clouds and his stomach was full of butterflies. Yusuke waited out the curfew before changing into his trunks and white jacket, sneaking past whatever teachers he came across and made it to the pool. Yuuki was already there, sitting on the edge and kicking his feet in the water. Yusuke hesitated, fingers dancing on the edge of his sleeves before deciding to take it off.

 

“Yuuki?” He settle himself right next to the shorter teen.

 

He jumped and turned to look at Yusuke with wide olive eyes. “Y-yusuke! Don’t scare me like that.”

 

“My apologies.”

 

“It’s fine.” He waved it off. “So about our talk.” The other male fiddled with his fingers. “So, um, I kind of… I had a crush on you ever since I saw you at the park. I-I know it’s probably weird, but I felt like… i had butterflies in my stomach. You looked handsome under the shade of the tree, almost as if you were straight out of a fairytale. A-And then I saw you at the cafe and bought something in an attempt to sit down and talk to you, but I got cold feet. Now I’m here with you and it feels like a dream, one i don’t want to wake up from.”

 

“A dream?” Yusuke moved closer to Yuuki. “Then it is a dream we share together. You’ve made my heart beat wildly ever since I saw you.” He gently held the shorter teen’s hands. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel drawn to you, Yuuki. You’re like… the moon.”

 

“Like the moon?”

 

“Yes, how bright it shines in the sky above all else. You are my moon, Yuuki, and I wish to land upon the surface of your heart.” Yusuke raised up Yuuki’s hand to kiss the back of it. 

The teen yelped and jumped slightly, losing his balance and falling into the pool, bring Yusuke along with him. They both resurfaced with a gasp, they stared at each other before breaking out into laughs. Yusuke stared at the teen through the curtain of hair, taking in how carefree he looked and the artist couldn’t help himself. He placed his hands on Yuuki’s cheeks and moved forward, gently placing a kiss on his lips.The other male jumped, caught off guard, before shyly kissing back.

 

They stayed like that until their skin had got pruney in the water. Yusuke invited Yuuki back to his room, upon hearing the noises that were coming from his shared room with Akira. They collapsed into the bed, despite them still being in their trunks, talked a bit more before falling asleep.

 

* * *

The sound of Yusuke’s phone going off drove the artist out of his slumber and he reached blindly for the device. He glared at the screen upon noticing the text notification and unlocked it.

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Have you seen Mishima? He didn’t come back to the room last night. Also, are you coming down for breakfast? _

 

It took Yusuke a while as he read the text over and over again. He tried to move his other arm only to find a weight on it. Turning his head, Yusuke spotted the named teen asleep on his arm. The artist froze, staring at the male as he slumbered. Thinking quickly, he snapped a pic and replied to Akira.

 

_**Yusuke:** I must apologize, Akira, but I will have to cancel on our breakfast plans. I don't see myself getting up for a couple hours. _

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Why not? _

 

Yusuke sent the pic.

 

**_Akira:_ ** _ Oh. Nice to see you two hooked up. So, we’ll see you later? _

 

**_Yusuke:_ ** _ Yes. _

 

He locked his phone and turned back to look at Yuuki, smiling softly before falling back asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I might have a bigger project coming up sometime in the future.


End file.
